The Pillagers’ Guide to Arctic Pianos by Kendra Langford Shaw
Kendra Langford Shaw’s novel, The Pillagers’ Guide to Arctic Pianos is a wildly inventive debut set in a future time in the far reaches of the Territory of the Arctic. The Spahr family lives on a fjord accessible only by kayak or float plane in a landscape changing as glaciers melt and sea levels rise. Living off grid in a converted fisherman’s shack known as Jubilation House, the Spahrs sell pickled octopus and sea crops, as well as operate a more lucrative water taxi business. When tragedy strikes, the family must decide whether to stay or leave, and if they stay, how they will make a living in a place with diminishing resources.
Everyone is strapped for cash in the Territory until a neighbor dredges up a centuries-old piano, a vestige from the original homesteading expedition, perfectly preserved by the frigid Arctic waters – and a new industry is born. Piano hunting seizes the territory. Ivory can be sold, pianos can be restored, and a boom replaces the bust caused by climate change. But how long can it last and will future generations be able to sustain a life in the rapidly shrinking territory?
Traveling back and forth through time, we meet the early settlers of the Territory of the Arctic, ancestors of the Spahr family, and experience the harsh conditions they traversed to reach the territory (a story not unlike the early settlers on the Oregon trail). The Pillagers’ Guide to Arctic Pianos is a wild ride, an un-put-downable story about the love of family and the enduring pull of home. A must-read for fans of Karen Russell, Eowyn Ivey, and Maggie Shipstead.
